alison burns is live with more. >> reporter: maureen, it's been two years since democrats here at the u.s. capitol led by san francisco congressman nancy pelosi pushed through the health reform law. now the justices are considering its fate. with supporters rallying outside of the court -- >> care for every family! -- inside the justices -- family! >> reporter: -- inside the justices are deciding can you be forced to buy health insurance. some wonder whether that question was brought too early because the law does not take effect until 2014. justice sonya sonya so sonya -- sonya so toe mayer -- sonya soto mayer. >> healthcare is an incredibly personal issue. my father passed away from lung cancer. one of the reasons it turned fatal for him was because they weren't able to catch it early enough because he didn't have health insurance. >> i don't want somebody else deciding whether linda dorr has surgery or takes a pill. >> reporter: reporting live from washington, d.c., alley sop burns -- alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison. >>> an open microphone caught president o

alison burns has more. >> reporter: maureen, it looks like president obama's healthcare overhaul is in trouble. >> realwomen by their own -- real women buy their own birth control pills! >> reporter: the justices seemed to side with the opponents of the law. they also asked if the government can force the american people to eat broccoli. anthony kennedy said it's unprecedented for the federal government to impose a duty upon people to buy a product. here's some sound from the court released just a few hours ago. >> and here the government is saying that the federal government has a duty to tell the individual citizen that it must act. that changes the relationship of the federal government to the individual in a very fundamental way. >> i love obama care! >> reporter: now, supporters of the law are trying to sound optimistic, noting that the other justices were more sim a thit ecto the 40 million americans who don't have health insurance. back live now in front of the u.s. supreme court, there's still quite a few demonstrators hours after these arguments wrapped up today. tomorrow the

reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> all right. thank you for that report, alison. >>> mayor ed lee is giving cpmc, the green light to build two new hospitals, a deal he says will help create jobs and pump millions into the economy. some people are saying not so fast. christien kafton has more. >> reporter: a new protest has moved in and they are trying to get their mess ang to the may -- message up to the mayor about this project. organizers say the new project falls short to provide adequate healthcare across san francisco and won't provide as many jobs as promised. >> it does not account for changes in the virm, number -- in the environment, and the transportation issues. >> reporter: nurses and other union members were out near protesting. the mayor announced this new proposal to rebuild st. luke's hospital in the mission and a new pacific medical center on van ness. the mayor says the new hospitals will double the number of seismically safe hospital beds and says it will inject $2.5 billion into the san francisco economy throu

as alison burns reports from washington, some economists are worried about what's ahead that may threaten the recovery. alison? >> reporter: dave, rising gas prices and the european debt crisis are among the biggest threats right now. we have gotten some good news this week, reports show retail sales jumped in february to a four-year high. existing home sales are way up and foreclosures are down. but some economists say another recession could be looming if americans cannot afford to fill tlup tanks because of the increases in the price of oil. >> these green chutes could turn brown quickly if the oil continues to rise. >> reporter: economists expect about 200,000 jobs were added last month. that probably won't be enough to move the unemployment rate. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 7:17. anti-government rebels in syria dealing with a setback in their struggle. rebels have retreated from a neighborhood in homs. the rebels say they are running out of weapons. they are calling humanitarian conditions there unbearable. the syrian government is all

as ktvu's alison burns reports, there's one issue that will dominate the agenda this morning as he meetsson? >> reporter: dave, we're waiting for a video feed now of the oval office meeting between president obama and israeli prime minister ben jaw men netanya had you. it comes as -- benjamin netanyahu. president obama warns all elements of american power remain an option to stop iran from developing nuclear weapons but he talks that -- but he says talks about that only ramps up the gas prices and benefits iran. >> there are, of course, no guarantees that the iranian regime will make the right choice. both israel and the united states have an interest in seeing this challenge resolve diplomatically. >> reporter: the two leaders will meet for several hours and will weigh the sanctions that will take place this summer and we're getting record that the prime minister of israel says they must remain the master of its own faith. alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> while israel's prime minister is in washington, the president of israel, shimon peres, is making an historic visit here. he's t

alison burns is live outside of the supreme court and tells us why today's argument are the taking on new urgency. alison? >> reporter: dave, outside everyone is speculating about what the justices will do after a rough day in court for supporters of the law yesterday. anthony kennedy seems unsure whether this is unconstitutional. this raises the stakes about whether the rest of the law can stand without that mandate. we've talked to a tea party leading marches before the supreme court. >> i hope they overturn the entire law. i hope they overturn the individual mandate. >> reporter: families that would benefit, the medicaid expansion, are telling their stories. >> one man says it would help him pay for care for his home in a nursing home. >> the treatment she's getting, i couldn't do it at home at 80 years old. >> reporter: arguments got underway 15 minutes ago. it's the last time for both sides to make their case. a student came here to camp out and got a seat inside. i will have more on that coming up in the next hour. alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> the federal government sa

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. l allen's testimony for us this morning. alison? >> reporter: general allen, tori, is giving no indication that the u.s. plans to speed up troop withdrawals from afghanistan. let's take a live look. he's been taking questions from committee members for the past hour and insist the u.s. is making -- insists the u.s. is making real progress against the insurgency in afghanistan. >> each of these events is heart-wrenching and my thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by this violence. coalition and afghan alike but i assure you the relationship between the coalition and our afghan security forces remains strong. >> reporter: general allen says the strategy remains in place to begin u.s. troop withdrawals at the end of next year. a number of members of congress are using this hearing this morning to press for a quicker end to the war. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 8:17. veterans mark the 9th anniversary of the iraq war with a dem

for now we're five washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 8:18. a lot of concern this morning for a missing 22-month-old baby boy who was last seen in april of last year in sacramento county. the dict a -- the disappearance of dwight stalling came to the attention of sheriff deputies last week after the drug- related arrest of his mother, tanisha edwards. police say the boy is nowhere to be found and edwards has given conflicting statements. his grandmother says it's been a year since she last saw him or her daughter. >> i just want my grandson. if anybody has him, please. >> sheriff deputies say he was never reported missing. they say it's possible he is no longer alive. anyone with information is asked to contact the sacramento sheriff's department. >>> a plim hearing -- preliminary hearing resumes today. 46-year-oldbyron williams is charged with four counts of attempted murder of a peace officer as well as other weapons charges. the chp officers pulled him over on highway 580 in oakland back in july of 2010. that's when a gun battle erupted. pr

alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 7:16. happening right now -- movie stafer george clooney is -- star george comroonny is expected to testify in front of a committee about the ongoing violence in sudan. these are live pictures from washington. that's senator lugar speaking now. clooney is president of the organization trying to return the full scale. this will be clooney's third appearance to talk about sudan. clooney has punishly visited sudan and says it's very difficult to see people living in clear. he's there. unfortunately, the camera does not show him. >>> republican presidential candidate rick santorum pulled off surprise wins in the alabama and mississippi primaries yesterday. jamie did you -- jamie dupree has more. >> reporter: hi, tori. ive just want into one of mississippi's -- i just ran into one of mississippi's senators. i asked him what he thought about this. he said is definitely blindsided him. on the ground in both state, i didn't feel it either. i was in become -- i was in montgomery, alabama. it seems l

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. newsroom with the demands of afghanistan's leaders. alison. >> reporter: over the past 24 hours there have been two key developments that could have a significant impact ons u.s. strategy in afghanistan. first defense secretary leon panetta met with afghan president karzai. he told them he wanted nato forces out of rural villages. there are reports the u.s. has been caught off guard by the turn of events prompted in large part by the massacre of afghan villagers on sunday. at the white house the message is focused on cooperation between the u.s. and afghan forces. >> we have to remember how broad the mission is over there. how many operations occur with afghan and u.s. forces working together. >> reporter: there has been no indication the u.s. is willing to speed up troop withdrawals even though president karzai said he wants the transition to afghan security a year ahead of schedule. reporting live from washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> all 16 people got killed. >> in san francisco dozens of protestors killed from

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. newsroom to tell us how many jobs were created last month and where. alison. >> reporter: the report shows more momentum in hiring. employers added 227,000 jobs in february. exists were expecting slightly less. the unemployment rate stays the same at # .3%-- 8.3%. manufacturing added 30,000 jobs. retail stayed flat after big gains in january. construction jobs are down. president obama heads to a rolls royce plant to talk about his efforts to boost manufacturing. this takes on more significance for him because it's an election year focused in large part on jobs. one other very interesting note government hiring about the same. all the layoffs we saw last year seems to be subsiding. for now we are live in washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 6:17. charges have been filed against four people is in connection with a -- this protest you're watching. this is back in november on the uc berkeley campus. among them a university professor. now look closely. she is believed to

ktvu alison burns is in our washington, d.c. ith how many jobs economists believe were created last month and what it says about the economic recovery. alison. >> reporter: employers added about 2 hurricane thousand jobs for a third -- 200,000 jobs for a third straight month. president obama heads to a rolles rice plant. already they say he's hot doing enough to improve the job picture. >> this is not just about numbers and tax policy. this is about getting americans good jobs with rising incomes. >> reporter: the house passed a bipartisan bill to ease regulations on small businesses as part of an effort to boost jobs. we'll have more live coverage of the labor department release of the february jobs report during my next update in about an hour. for now we are live in washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> after an eight-year battle walnut creek is rolling out the red carpet for a new niemann market. coming up at 5:36 claudine wong will talk about the economic impact that store could have on the city. >>> the int

alison burns now describes that scene outside the supreme court this morning. >> reporter: pam, we are in an area between the u.s. capitol building where the landmark health reform law was passed two years ago and the united states supreme court. the arguments begin in about 45 minutes. the demonstrators started marching an hour and a half ago. there seem to be more people here that want to see the health reform law uphold. one woman that survived breast cancer came from laguna beach. >> i just want a choice. if they want government health care, that is fine. i will be buy my own health care. we should have a choice. >> reporter: here is a look at the line that started friday afternoon. people camped out over the weekend. they braved the rain here in washington, d.c. to get one of the 400 seats inside the court. we have been told the court has started letting people in. we'll have more live coverage during my next update in about an hour. for now we are live in washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> salary for california lawmakers have been cut in recent years but still

alison burns reports, he's picking up another key endorsement there today. alison? the easest time wooing conservatives but in just the last few hours, he got the nod from the powerful chairman of the budget committee. paul ryan fresh off his budget victory in the house. he will appear with mitt. he's the latest to rally behind romney. yesterday, it was marco rubio and former president, joenklths herbert walker bush -- george herbert walker bush. >> he's a great man. he will make a great president. >> and newt gingrich has threatened to fight the nomination all the way to the convention. the latest polls show romney is ahead -- is ahead. >>> well, ron paul is joining the other candidates campaigning in wisconsin and thousands of students turned out for a ron paul rally at the university of wisconsin in madison. [chanting] >> at 76, ron paul is a favorite among younger voters. he's not won a primary but he has pic -- he has picked up delegates. >> as long as i get this kind of support, it would be pretty hard for me to walk away from the delegates. >> now, ron paul i

ktvu alison burns reports from washington. conomic news so far this week. alison. >> reporter: that is right. we have learned from the latest unemployment filings that fewer people are getting laid off and more companies are hiring. already this week we saw the dow jones industrial average close above 13,000 for the first time in nearly four years. retail stores reported a big junk in sales for february. americans are spending more and just yesterday the labor department reported the number of people applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to a four-year low. economists expect about 210,000 jobs were added last month. the monthly jobs report comes out the first friday of the month but it has been pushed until next week. the european debt crisis and rising gas prices could threaten some of the gains. what the fed chairman is saying about it during my next update in about an hour. for now we are live in washington, d.c. alison burns ktvu channel 2 news. >>> tonight veteran entertainer will be honored in san jose. he wil

alison burns is live in our washington, d.c. newsroom with what is at take today. >> reporter: this is the day that mitt romney hopes will show he's the one on the path to the gop nomination. the biggest prize is georgia where newt gingrich enjoys a home state advantage and a big lead but the hottest contest is in ohio where mitt romney and rick santorum are oning neck- and-neck -- are running neck and neck. >> this is about the course of america. >> reporter: rick santorum. >> he won't be able to ignore our questions and avoid answer be the questions -- answering questions in the fall. as a result, he will be the weakest candidate we could possibly put forward. >> reporter: ron paul supporters are looking for him to take his first win tonight. his best hopes are in alaska, north dakota and idaho. a national poll shows 65% of americans believe mitt romney will be the gop nominee. reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> and stay with us for continuing coverage. we'll have election results. as

as alison burns reports his plan is to gradually wind down the war and facing new set backs. . >> reporter: pam, and today the afghan president lashed out at the u.s. saying he was at the end of his rope. he's complaining about what he calls a lack of cooperation with the u.s. in the investigation of sunday's shooting spree. he was meeting with the families of the 16 victims. now the comments today come a day after he told service secretary leon panetta afghan's don't trust u.s. troops. he wants them out of rural areas. he wants afghans to take control of their new security next year. >> i don't think that the u.s. is going to exceed to karzai's demand. >> reporter: in another set back for the u.s. the taliban has suspended preliminary peace talks. more on what the taliban is demanding during my next update in about an hour. for now we are live in washington, d.c., alison burns. >>> 6:16 north korea says it will launch a long-range rocket mounted with a satellite on it next month. such launches are part of a peaceful space program. this is video reloosed by north korea of a si

alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> thank you, alison.he supreme court will hear arguments and the main issues is the many date requiring -- mandate requiring everyone to buy a minimum form of health insurance or pay a penalty in 2014. 2 state evacuation joined together to say that's unconstitutional. today's arguments will focus on whether it's too early for the justices to consider the law since the require for people to buy health insurance does not kick in for more than two years. >> if you put the question of the constitutionality of the statute over for six months or a year, everybody is gonna be in complete limbo. >> a decision is not expected until late june. >>> the deadline is looming for congress to pass some kind of transportation funding measure. >> the democrat-led senate has already passed a two-year, $109 billion bill. but the republican-controlled house, they are divided over how to pay for the bill and haven't voted on it. the house transportation committee says it wants more time to negotiate. but funding is not approve

alison burns. >>> people in alameda could vote on a sales tax hike.ld generate $2 million. the revenue would go toward police and fire rescues. the city council will consider placing the tax more on the ballot on wednesday. >>> our time now 6:15. san rafael police have surveillance video they hope you will see and help catch an armed robbery suspect. security footage from the gateway gas station on north gate drive you can see the suspect walks in, points a gun at the clerk who hands over money from the cash register. all of this happened february 14th. look at this sketch now. this is a police sketch of the suspect. police think he also robbed the union 76 gas station. at that time, police say the suspect hit the clerk with a gun >>> metal thieves are being blamed for two bronze ornaments. the bronze pieces each weigh about 200 pounds. they were bolted on to the statue. city officials are asking recycling companies keep an eye out for anybody trying to sell those pieces. they say if the missing pieces are not returned, they will try to raise the mone

ktvu's alison burns in our washington, d.c.of this debate. >> that's right, dave. let's get right to a live look now at the senate. the senate is expected to vote any minute now, this is massachusetts senator jrk jrk speaking now. the senate will be voting on a conscious amendment -- john kerry is speaking now. the senate will be voting on a conscience amendment. california's democratic senators, are leading the opposition and say unless of californians could lose their health coverage. >> this debate is not about religious freedom. it's about allowing providers and employer the right to deny access to care for autism screening, std and cancer screening and well-baby exams for any reason. >> the debate is -- i'm sorry. the amendment is expected to fail in the democratically- controlled senate but there certainly is a consen shies -- contentious debate. >>> 8:15. the city approved plans to build 137,000-square foot store, target. but those opposing it filed a lawsuit. they put a referendum on the ballot but they did not get enou

we're live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> 7:15.new details could hurt efforts to prosecute robert bales. u.s. military officials have not had access to murder scenes in kandahar. bales' attorney says his client has memory problems. bales has been charged with 17 counts of murder. >>> the pentagon is concerned about afghans turning on americans in the wake of the bales' case. angels are service members who will watch over fellow troops at all times, even when they sleep. >>> today two explosions were hurt. one explosion was a mortar. it hit near the iranian embassy. that explosion was just outside of the green zone. so far there's no immediate word of casualties. >>> movie director spike lee now apologizing to a couple in florida after re-tweeting their address. he said he thought the address belonged to george zimmerman. he's the neighborhood watchman who shot and killed trayvon martin. instead the address belonged to another couple of and they say their first indication that something was wrong was on sunday, asking for george. >>

. >>> let's go to alison burns in our washington, d.c.sroom with what the president of afghanistan is saying this morning. >> reporter: afghanistan's president, president karzai, spent much of the day meeting with the very angry families of the 16 killed last weekend allegedly by a u.s. soldier. karzai says he's at the end of his hope. he also met with leon panetta yesterday and said afghans wanted to question the american saf sergeant. the shooter has yet to be identified but is peaking transferred to fort levin worth texas -- leavenworth, texas. >> he has two young children. he's a devoted father. >> hamid karzai has also called for u.s. and nato troops to get out of rural areas. for now, it looks like the u.s. is ignoring the demand. reporting live in washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> in egypt deadly soccer riots have led to problems with officials. nine senior officials are charged with assisting the mob. they include six generals and a colonel. >>> 8:16. the san jose agos are calling san francisco home this wee

as alison burns reports, he was transferred and it's likely he will be tried at his home base. >> reporter: the staff sergeant is not facing any formal charges yet. but if he does, legal experts say he will likely be detained and tried at the largest base near tacoma washington. leon panetta has just wrapped up a two-day visit to afghanistan, dominating talks about the shooting that lift 16 dead. the ambassador -- the ambassador said he wants the americans out. we just talked to a military analyst who said it's best for the u.s. that he be out of afghanistan. >> the taliban is going to try to use this event to inflame events, passion, more than possible. >> reporter: reporting live from washington, d.c., alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> fresh off his wins in alabama and mississippi, republican presidential candidate, rick santorum, is now campaigning in puerto rico. puerto rico holds its primary on sunday. santorum's wins in the two southerns came from conservative voters. >> what the nation wants is someone who understands the economy, not a -- if will an economic light weight. i me

daily -- alison burns is in our washington, d.c. the very latest on the delegate count. good morning, allison. >> reporter: dave, good morning. mitt ekeed out that win in ohio. romney how has 415 of the 1144 delegates needed to win the gop nomination. rick santorum has 176. newt gingrich, 105. ron paul, 47. it's still not enough for romney to claim he's the inevitable nominee but he is sounding more confident. >> tonight, we're doing some counting. we're continuing up the delegates for the convention and it looks good. and we're counting down the days to november and that looks even better. >> reporter: newt gingrich won decisively in georgia. ron paul has yet to claim a victory. none of them sound ready to drop out. santorum is looking strong in three states that hold primaries next week. alley sop -- alison burns, ktvu channel 2 news. >> and if you want more information, go to our website and click on the tab. there's results from all ten states. >>> in britain's ministry defense says six of its troops -- trooch also missing and -

alison burns describes the scene right outside the supreme court this morning. alison. >> reporter: dave, this is a super bowl for people that are interested in the supreme court. a landmark case about the power and reach of the federal government. we are in an area between the u.s. capitol building and the court. we shot video before the sun came up about an hour and a half ago about people that have been waiting in line since friday. braving rain to get in and be part of history this morning. there are -- we saw low students, actest. one woman is here from pasadena and hopes the court will uphold the law. >> health care is an issue. my father passed away a year and a half ago because of lung cancer. the reason why it turned fatal is because they didn't find it soon enough. >> our cameras are not allow inside. for now we are live in washington, d.c.. >>> new survey is out finding broad support for governor jerry brown's proposal top raise taxes on high income earners. 64% o of voters surveyed say they support the bill. among those polled 80% of democrats support

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. with a message for our people and the troops. >> reporter: secretary panetta has wrapped up meetings with officials saying it's important to stick to the strategy that has been laid out to bring the war to an end. he plans this trip for more than a month, it has taken on a more urgent meeting as he seeks to reassure afghan officials and u.s. troops. this is video from a shooting at a funeral. secretary panetta is promising the u.s. is taking swift action to punished the allege shooter emphasizing it's an isolated attack. here's what he said before he left washington. >> war is hell. these kinds of events will take place. they have taken place in any war. >> reporter: the u.s. soldier accused in the shooting spree was caught on surveillance camera walking to his base allegedly surrounderring after the massacre. we'll have more on that for you during my next update in about an hour. for now we are live in washington, d.c.. >>> 5:15. a convicted serial killer has sent out another chillin

alison burns is in our washington, d.c. with the unusual security precautions the military is taking for the defense secretary's visit. >> reporter: u.s. marines waiting to hear from secretary panetta were told to keep their weapons outside the tent where he was speaking. they usually keep them. these are some pictures of secretary panetta's arrival in southern afghanistan. three bombs exploded around the time of the arrival. killing eight afghans. there have been a number of retaliation attacks since a u.s. soldier killed 16 afghans over the week. there are reports he's a staff sergeant with the three striker brigade. secretary panetta is emphasizing to afghan officials he is being punished. secretary panetta said the incident is a reminder war is hell. >> they are terrible events. these are not the first of the events. it probably won't be the last. >> reporter: there is surveillance video of the u.s. soldier who allegedly approaching his base and surrounderring after allegedly carrying out these early morning murders. we

alison burns has more. >> reporter: the family members say they are stunned in the wake of the stragegye's in a isolated sell. while some of his friends are talking to the press about the man who is also a father of two. >> outgoing, funny. >> super-loving, friendly to everybody he met, great with his his kids. >> reporter: back in afghanistan some of the villagers where the kills took place are sin ising more than one person -- are insisting more than one person was slovged. he leads for his attorney for the first time today -- was involved. he meets with his attorney today. >>> the two men detained by one of the dozens of militia that helped force out moammar gadhafi last year. the two men apologized for entering libya illegal. they were transper ferred -- transferred last week. >>> overnight we received video of a soccer fan -- and -- fan. and supporters tried to storm the stadium. there were dozens of arrests made and violencele -- there were dozens of arrests made. >>> the syrian opposition says the government is behind the involved. >> free, free syria! >> protesters gathered. the

burn a few bridges. >> yeah. alisonnt seems to be playing it safe with his march madness picks. why fought a cinderella story? we'll give that question to the political buzz panel, that's next. 8% every 10 years. wow. wow. but you can help fight muscle loss with exercise and ensure muscle health. i've got revigor. what's revigor? it's the amino acid metabolite, hmb to help rebuild muscle and strength naturally lost over time. [ female announcer ] ensure muscle health has revigor and protein to help protect, preserve, and promote muscle health. keeps you from getting soft. [ major nutrition ] ensure. nutrition in charge! ♪ ( whirring and crackling sounds ) man: assembly lines that fix themselves. the most innovative companies are doing things they never could before, by building on the cisco intelligent network. our machines help identify early stages of cancer and it's something that we're extremely proud of. you see someone who is saved because of this technology, you know that the things that you do in your life, matt

burning bridges. and that includes the old ones, as well as the new, kyra. >> alison, thanks. >>> well, rick santorume you heard this? >> i guarantee you -- i guarantee you when we will win this nomination. >> but rick's guarantee has one big caveat. he's got to win in president obama's home state tomorrow and if polling is any indication, that's not going to be easy. the battle for illinois next in fair game. >>> but first our political junkie question. who is the only president born in illinois? tweet the answer to@kyracnn. i'll give a shoutout for the first right answer. turn left. the passat is one of nine volkswagen models named a 2012 iihs top safety pick. not that we'd ever brag about it. turn right. come on, nine. turn left. hit the brakes. huh? how'd that get there? [ male announcer ] we can't hide how proud we are to have nine 2012 iihs top safety picks. so we're celebrating with our "safety in numbers" event. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease the 2012 passat for $219 a month. >>> well, just before the break a asked you who was the only u.s. president born in illinois.

alison kosik. i know you have a few tips on how to help us with a being. >> it's a burning, burning question, isn't to reduce their taxable income, and the amounts you can deduct are adjusted each year. it's important to stay on top of the changes. whether you're a first time filer or a pro at filing your own taxes. almost two-thirds opt for the standard deductions. single filers can deduct $5800. married couples filing jointly can deduct $11,600. and heads of households can deduct $8,500. they list additional deductions for the blind. >> so, which rout do most people take in filing their taxes? >> okay, so the irs is going to allow you to deduct certain medical expenses, mortgage interests. taxes, charitable contributions as well as tax preparation fees. when it comes to deducting donations, it's important to keep records. collects all of your deductions. for cash donations. you're going to need a bank statement or written acknowledgment from the charity. be careful if you donate clothing, furniture or other items because the irs has rules in place to stop filers from deducting junk donations. onl

alison for his testimony and go ahead to our second panel unless there's any burning reason not to. thank you very much we appreciate your being here and your testimony today. why don't we see if we can ask secretary chew to come in so we can hear his perspective and ask him some questions. >> thank you for being here. welcome back to the kefment as you know we just received testimony from herb alison about his report, reviewing the department of nrnl loan guarantee portfolio. and we would be anxious to hear any thoughts you have on that very same subject and then i'm sure senators will have questions. so go right ahead. >> thank you, chairman. thank you for the opportunity to discuss department of energy's efforts to strengthen our loan programs and to go on grow america's clean energy economy. as part of our commitment to be responsible sturets, the department has and welcomed the independent review of herb alison. mr. alison released a report and made some important recommendations to strengthen the loan portfolio. even before the conclusion of the review we took steps many of wh